Wednesday, June 20, 2012

5-7-5

Good evening, dear reader

Once again I am writing something that comes from the heart. I am excited to write this post, although I have no idea how it’s going to flow. I know the very basics of what I want to say, but I am very unclear as to how to say it. I also know that this is going to be about poetry. To be precise it is going to be about haiku. And so, I invite you to come with me on a journey. A journey where 17 syllables are all you’re allowed. A journey where very few words are allowed to be spoken or written. Join me dear reader, for we go to the land of 5-7-5.

For some of you, this is no surprise. If you follow me on Twitter (@Fifafan1969) or are a friend on Facebook, you may have noticed my tweet (post) from a couple days ago regarding the very subject of this article. Yes, dear reader, I have written a poem. I have written haiku. This is something very different for me. I like poetry, but I don’t read it much and I certainly don’t write it ever. Until now. I think the last poem I wrote was in grade 10 or 11. And it is entirely possible that I haven’t read a poem since then as well. Until now. And the thing is…I don’t know where it came from. I am not entirely sure what got into me to write a poem. However, motivation aside, I am very pleased with how it turned out. Are you curious yet? Do you want to know what I wrote? Patience, grasshopper. All will be revealed in its own time.

Before we get into my contribution to the world of 5-7-5, we should look at what exactly haiku is. According to dictionary.com, haiku is a major form of Japanese verse, written in 17 syllables divided into 3 lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables, and employing highly evocative allusions and comparisons, often on the subject of nature or one of the seasons. Wikipedia has an extensive page on haiku. Check it out if you’re interested.

The interesting question is this: What in the name of all that is good possessed me to pen haiku? What was I thinking? I am not a poet, I have never shown any inclination (aside from the debacle in high school) towards poetry and I have never even intimated that I’d be interested in writing poetry. And yet, I found myself strangely moved by the thought of writing a poem. But why? I think that part of it is tied up in my nature. I am a very passionate, ‘wear my heart on my sleeve’ type of person. I am a romantic. And I have a lot of things that I’d like to write. But I was having troubles getting some of it into a story. I didn’t know where to go with it. This had been building up for some time now. I have started stories, stopped stories, continued stories and dropped stories. But I needed to get something written, something complete. I really needed to express some emotion that has been building. It was a release I was seeking.

And then it came to me. It struck very quickly. And when I realized what I had to do, I did some very quick research to find the proper format, the proper definition. And I wrote. I expressed. I counted. Yes, dear reader, I counted the first line…5 syllables. Or, more properly, 5 morae. The second line revealed more of the emotion I was after, and it was 7 morae. The third line wrapped it up. Yup, you guessed it…5 morae. The whole process didn’t take me very long. It flowed. It found its way from my heart, from my soul onto paper (or into a Word document in this case). And when I was done, and sure of the 5-7-5, I sighed a sigh of relief. And I was exhausted mentally. Yes, I was emotionally drained. Many people who read this may not get it. I may get mocked. I may be the object of ridicule. That’s fine, because as I stated before, I wear my heart on my sleeve. Writing this haiku was deeply personal, overwhelmingly emotional and downright tiring.

But now what? What do I do with it? Where do I go? Well, the first logical place was here at fifafan.ca. And as the logical choice, I ignored it. I wanted to reveal it here after I had some feedback. So I posted it at a website I am a member of. It is s website devoted to writers, aspiring writers, writing critics, and word lovers. Once the haiku was posted there, the members of the site have the opportunity to vote and comment on whatever is posted. I have received some incredibly up-building feedback from a few of the people there. And that, dear reader has been good for my confidence. It made me feel good about my writing.

And here we are. We are nearing the end of this article, but I suspect that this is not the end of poetry from me. I love the expression I can get, the passion I can display in a poem. I may just try it again. If you have made it this far into the article, I thank you.

The tag line on the website for my haiku is this:

My very first attempt at Haiku...it's meant to evoke dreams of love and romance.

The title of my haiku:

Wishful Thinking - A Haiku

And now I leave you, dear reader. I leave you after opening my heart and revealing a little bit of me that you may not have known. And I leave you with my haiku. I hope you get it. I hope it fulfills the tag line. It is fine, though if it doesn’t. And if it’s not your interest, that is fine too. This haiku was a deeply personal journey. It had a profound effect on me as I wrote it, and every time I read it. And I want to share it with you. I give you my haiku. I give you 5-7-5.